Please.... you live in that elevation so you'll have a massive advantage over us fat, flat landers.

lazuras_dc said:

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I've had FOMO for weeks. Not going to get out there this year.
Do have a weekend trip with the wife to Colorado Springs Sept 23... debating if the consequences of getting an OTC tag and sneaking out for a day or two are worth it

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Just tell her I have an animal down 15 miles back in, and desperately need help getting it out. You are worried I might die back there alone, so you are going to go lend a hand. Mail me your gear, and I'll throw it in the back of my truck and meet you at the trial head…

Hoyt Ag said:

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7 more days and I will be hiking my fat ass up Unit 12. I am going to be worthless at work the next week.

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Wait a doggone minute! I'm busting my ass on the treadmill and weight rack so I don't die and you're telling me a fat ass can do it?!?!?!

I'm actually headed to northern NM (Unit 51) for rifle season mule deer (Oct 29-Nov 2). I saw your elk tag post and would totally jump on that if I had enough PTO at work. I have no clue what I'm doing and understand Unit 51 is tough with all the roads and locals. Still looking forward to it!

This is my virgin mountain hunting trip. The great news is I've used it as motivation to exercise and improve my diet. I'm in the best shape I've been in since high school.

I'd love a chance to join a TA group in the future. Great idea!

Good luck brother! I'll be in CO 2nd rifle around the same time, but with a muley tag.

I'd be interested next year. You're not far from where I normally hunt.

You might be on to something…

SOS Outiftters

Now we're talking !
Don't know if you saw my text but If Justin's got either week two or three in sept open next year I'm blowin' my points !!!

lazuras_dc said:

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Now we're talking !
Don't know if you saw my text but If Justin's got either week two or three in sept open next year I'm blowin' my points !!!

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I did see it, sorry. Been a hell-ish last 2 weeks. Finally coming up for air. I could be down for that! I will at least tag along. My brother-in-law is talking about wanting to go out near the Sand Dunes, where we got my Dad a monster bull 2 years ago. So we might be trying to pull tags out there next year. Still gotta wait to see. I can put in for an archery cow either place, probably.

For sure, I think you emailed me already but send another if not. I think a group of 6 would be ideal.

Yess, that's a cool spot. If Justin can't get us week 2/3 then we may try and put in w/ Wes for archery and hunt w Justin Rifle3 as a backup! I think 2023 is lined out. Buddies are going DIY rifle 2 this season near gunnison, but I'll prob stick to texas WT/Axis this year.

That sounds like a solid plan

ttha_aggie_09 said:

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You might be on to something…

SOS Outiftters

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Cover story is part of our guide fee…

Looks like I will likely be heading to WY solo. Brother's in laws had a serious family emergency and he is out.

Planning to leave next Friday. Will be hunting around dubois. Archery elk.

Awesome pics, thanks for sharing! How cool to get a good bull moose on there!!!

Looks like the bulls are rounding up herds in that second to last photo.

I have the AVI video file, its 3 bulls and 4 cows actually that paraded thru there. But yes, you are correct.

Thanks for sharing! While seeing the bulls and moose are awesome, I think the 48F weather got me the most excited! Hunt begins on Friday...

Honestly after looking at those photos, I think thats what I was most impressed with, too!

You guys that have hunted archery elk before, what is your strategy this early in the season? I imagine this will not consist of bulls screaming in your face like a peak rut hunt.

Are the bulls typically flying solo and hammering wallows right now? Do the herd bulls start getting their group of cows together already? Is calling still effective as bulls are looking for receptive cows?

Only early season hunt I did like this was in 2017 and we didn't see a bull or hear one bugle. We were also probably 2,000' below where they were. I know this varies from location but just generally asking what you guys like to do early season.

I was camped up on the mountain all weekend, heard on locator bugle Saturday afternoon. Camped at 10,400'. No elk to be seen Friday from noon to dark. No bugles at night.

Saturday we went down to 9500 and saw a few cows and a young 3 bull at day break in big meadows. We cow called a small bull off a bedding area using a lone cow call.

Sunday we moved down to 9000ft and saw a lot more elk but no bugling, but were responsive to cow calls.

I think in the next week or so the herd bulls will start to gather up the cows they want and will begin being more vocal. I am going to just move around to bedding areas I know of along with the major water holes. A lot of the wallows are running dry, so I am focusing on the major water sources (lakes and known live streams).

Last year we didnt hear bugles till the last few days of archery but down in Rifle, they were bugling on Dog Head in mid Sept. Its just such a crapshoot.

Seems weird they would be that low this early with warm temps.

Water driven you think or something else?

My last trip in your neck of the woods we hiked way up into a bowl with a high altitude lake I've hunted a couple of times. Typically you might see a person or 2 all week walking the main trail, but once you left that you'd be into elk and never see another person.

We saw more people hiking in than I had seen in both previous hunts combined. And it was like that all week. It was the first time we never saw an elk in that bowl. Talked to a wrangler on the last day that rode up to fish. He said Covid cabin fever had changed everything. There were so many people hiking and fishing up there all spring and summer that the elk had moved to the other side of the river valley where there weren't trail heads and never filtered back.

I don't think it's water. There are a ton of half court to full size basketball court ponds up there. We may not have seen much because we were in a rush to check cameras, find a new pack out route, check a spike camp and only had 2 days to do it in. I imagine we would have seen more higher up if we tried harder but I was really needing to find a secondary pack out route if I shoot one low.

We are starting to see a few head come off the hills on the South Fork of the White River. It was 38 degrees around midnight Saturday so maybe cool temps lately have them moving a hair down hill?

Less than 24 hrs boys.....Im packed and ready to go. Unfortunately I have to work on opening day but I am only working till 2 then heading up the mtn with 2 others to make camp before dark for 5 days.

It's gunna be a long September, watching from the sidelines. Go get em boys !

Same here. I'll be there in October, but it just isn't quite the same.

Working half a day today, then head home to get the pup situated, then making the trek up the mountain hopefully before dark. There is an absolute F ton of people in town for the opener. What is shocking is the number of what I call 4x4 pop up campers behind Tacomas and Jeeps. Just an observation really but it was like every 4th setup was like this.